6 Blenders That Pulverize Food Just As Well As The Trendy Vitamix

The brand has tripled its workforce in the last two years as its
popularity among health-conscious consumers has surged, with
sales growing 52% last year. The Ohio-based company is now
considering an international expansion, Crain's
Cleveland Business reports.

The blender's swift rise over the last couple years is due
in large part to its fervent following of fans, who openly
profess their devotion to the 2-horsepower, commercial-grade
machine online and in public settings to just about anyone who
will listen.

With its $300-$650 price tag, it has become something of a
status symbol for fitness buffs and healthy eaters, but it’s also
catching fire among people for whom the kitchen is foreign
territory.

With its popularity, the Vitamix has attracted a number of
competitors, many of which offer a much lower price for similar
capabilities. The
Ninja, for example, sells for under $250 and does just about
everything the Vitamix can.

Both companies’ blenders have an average customer rating of 4.5/5
stars on Amazon.com.
On Costco’s website, Blendtec has 4.5/5 stars while Vitamix
has 5/5 stars.

Blendtec reportedly has a slight advantage in horsepower over the
Vitamix, but the Vitamix offers a lower average price and simpler
controls, according to the website blenderreviews.us.

The Ninja

Price: $59 to $250

Warranty: Lifetime

The Ninja is tied for first place with the Vitamix in
Consumer Reports’ blender ratings and its a best-seller
on
Amazon.com. Most of Ninja’s blenders sell for under
$100, but promise to do nearly everything that a Blendtec and
Vitamix can. Customer reviews on Amazon.com range from 3.5/5
stars to 4.5/5 stars for various versions of the blender.

The Ninja was developed by Euro-Pro Operating
LLC, a household appliance maker with offices in
Massachusetts, Canada and China. While the blender is generally
highly rated, Euro-Pro doesn’t get such high ratings. The company
has a "D+" from the
Boston Better Business Review for a range of issues including
billing, warranty and product problems.

The Tempest

Price: $520

Warranty: Two years

This blender is made by U.S. home goods manufacturer Hamilton
Beach Brands Inc.

Like Blendtec and Vitamix, it can turn vegetables and fruits into
smooth purees in seconds. But unlike those brands, it targets more
commercial users — like bars, restaurants and cafes — over home
cooks. Perhaps for that reason, the Tempest doesn’t have the cult
following of its better-known competitors.

But it still has some really
positive reviews, with an average 4.5/5 stars on
Amazon.

"After wasting hundreds of
dollars on GE, Oster and other blenders that were too weak,
poorly designed or that died after a few months, we are so happy
that we went commercial grade," one reviewer wrote.

The Omni Blend

“So you have to blend a few extra seconds to get the exact same
results as you would with a Vitamix or Blendtec — it's worth the
difference in price!” the reviewer continued. “My Omni is pressed
into service at least twice a day, and I have had NO problem
blending nuts, greens veggies (such as swiss chard and kale), and
frozen whole bananas.”

The NutriBullet, like
its higher-priced competitors, promises to pulverize all
vegetables and nuts without leaving behind any pulp or chunky
substances. The only
drawback is that the NutriBullet only makes single servings. So
cooking for an entire family would be cumbersome.

The blender is listed by its
manufacturer, NutriBullet LLC, for $119, but
some retailerssell it for
as low as $99. Customers give it 4/5 stars on
Amazon.

The Versa

Price:$199 to $249

Warranty:
Seven years

The Versa, made by Oster,
has the same capabilities as its high-priced competitors and a
similar warranty and gets high customer ratings.

One customer who gave the Versa a glowing rating on Amazon called
it "the poor man's Vitamix."

Another who tested the machine wrote, "I'd buy this over my
Vitamix."

"This blender is the first one
that I can say absolutely is comparable to the Vitamix and
probably more favorable because it has a better price tag and
more features," the reviewer wrote.